Back in Colorado

Been in Colorado for about a week. Met up with Ben and Simon and have been climbing at RMNP and Evans. Simon has been crushing it with sends of Silverback, Gorillas in the Mist, Super Gui, Bushpilot, and Stanley Kubric. Ben sent Handicapps in the most burly of fashions and I got sends of Bierstadt and Formula 50. Lots of pictures to come. Also, its offical now that I have actually been to Evans, but RMNP is actually a big turd pile. Kind of like Hueco, one or two good lines but a lot of hard climbs for foolfaces to finish. Off to Area D at Evans on Sunday, PSYCHED!

Yesterday Bret and I headed out to Gold Bar. We went to the Camp Serene Boulder first, a place neither of us had been to before. I flashed the V6 there, which is an amazing climb and also did the V4. However, the "V8" eluded both Bret and me and we ended up leaving to the Five Star boulder. I had done the two harder climbs there already so I decided to try and finish up a few of the tall and scary moderates I had not done before. However, I was able to complete nither the stunning V8 arete or the V6 face climb before darkness fell and we had to leave. I plan on returning for the V8 arete as soon as I return to Seattle because the climb is one of the best I have ever tried. Bret also send the 4 and 6 and worked out all the moves on Ebreosity and I think he should be able to send soon.

Bret under the V6 at Camp Serene

Ebreoisty with my new flash. Its a little bright here, I have not figured it all out yet.

Ebreosity

Ebreosity

Carrying lots of pads to make landings for the two moderates I tried at Five Star. Both turn the lip at a little under 20 feet and top out at around 30 with pad uneven landings.

Enchantments Video

Low Resolution Quicktime Movie

Enchantment Pictures

Reminds me a little of The Swarm but would be easier for sure. Some of the better rock I found up in the Enchantments. I did not try the line however because I lacked a pad and this boulder is about 25 feet tall.

Two random boulders with lots of moss and lichen. The one on the left has a featured overhanging face about 10 feet tall. The vertical face on the right is around 15 feet tall and has some small crimps up the middle.

A line that I brushed and chalked up. It was short but extreamly fun with an exciting mantle given there were sharp rocks and trees below with nothing covering them. I dont have a name for it yet but it felt to be around V6, but could be easier if you had a pad and felt more confident about being ok if you fell. There is also another line up the center of this boulder on smaller but still holdable crimps.

Middle Enchantment Basin. The blocks there are mostly too small to hold great lines but it is still an amazing place to hike through, no?

Amazing crisp white granite blocks in Upper Enchantment Basin, I did not get over to look at these close but they were of a good size to climb and many more of these small fields existed not too far from this one.

A huge Buttermilks sized bloc that had features at a jump start height but with a pretty bad landing. Many of these pictures you cannot see the smaller sized crimps because of the black lichen that covers these rocks. The features vary from each isolated area, some whole tallus fields I looked at were blank while others were covered in bomber incut crimps.

More large boulders with bad landings on the far side of Lake Viviane in the Lower Enchantment basin. I did not get a close look at these.

Three huge tallus fields with boulders ranging from house sized to pebbles. Did not get over to this one either but hopefully they are featured with decent landings.

An amazing wave feature that is sadly completly void of holds between the ground and lip.

This picture and the next three below were all boulders found in the tallus that is all along Lake Nada. Many of the boulders there are either blank, too big, too small, or have too bad of landings. There boulders are all of worthwhile size and have features.







This is probably the best boulder I saw at Nada but it appeared as if someone had tried it, or maybe even done it, before. A landing had been biult and there was chalk on a few holds. This picture does not do the problem justice at all. It is a 45 degree wall that is around 12 feet high and has an amazing series of rails. This problem alone would be worth the four hour hike to try someday.

The last problem I found and completed while hiking in the Alpine Lakes. This was at the outlet side of Nada lake about 20 yards off the trail. The line goes up a series of crimps on the left end of the the just barely overhanging bloc. The landing had been slightly improved and chalk was on the first three holds so I assumed that the problem has been climbed before considering it did not seem any harder than V5 or V6.

Leavenworth

I spent the last four days backpacking to the Enchantments in the Alpine Lakes Wilderness in Washington. The hike was amazing and there will be much more to be said later but before hand I stopped in Leavenworth to try a few things. I found out that Atomic Energy felt even harder in 90 degree heat, that I am still not strong enough to climb the Peephole, and that the Dali Lama is a pretty fun climb for being a move move wonder. Photos and video to come soon.

Quick Session

Today I made the trip to Gold Bar to try a few problems and get my pad back which was stashed up there. I tried Equinox and Twisted but both felt very hard still. I managed to do Ares though, it is an excellent arete climb up immaculate granite. Full value climbing.

Warm Up

Twisted (V10)

Ares (V8)

High Quality Video

Got my new computer linked to Colorado College's servers and now I can host high quality Quicktime movies off of that. The video files are signifigantly larger so it may take a few minutes to load things.

Here is a video that I already posted of Elise on Trad Killer

Gold Bar

Went to Gold Bar today with Emma. Weather was hot and sunny and most of the problem I wanted to try felt aweful. Also only having one pad did not help with the tallus landings under most problems. I did send some random V9 called Bambi but besides that it was unproductive. Check out my mad climbing skills.

Trad Killa!

Back in Squamish

Went up to Squamish on Thursday night for an extended weekend trip. Unforenatly it was rather unproductive but I had a good time none the less so its ok. I went up with Elise and Eli from Portland and on Friday Bret Emma and Chris came up. We tried a lot of good problems, including Defender of the Faith , Jim Carey , Black Hole , The Great Esce , Worm World Low, The Egg, Backseat, and Sesame Street. Bret got a nice send of Sesame Street and I managed to send the Bulb but that was about it. Chris fell off reaching for the top out jug of Worm World Low on his second go and I feel at the same point the next day. Eli did Razorburn, a problem that I am convinced is actually like 3 grades harder tha n anyone calls it and Elise did Trad Killer. Here are a few pictures, and if some footage edits up nicely I will post that later. Unfortenatly it rained on Sunday making climbing difficult and that was followed by a fun 3 hours sitting at the boarder.

Bret tries the first move of Defender of the Faith

Chris sticks the dyno on Defender of the Faith

Eli on Trad Killer

Bret on the Great Escape

Eli on Trad Killer

Squamish, Part Two

Simon on Frontside (V12)

Simon nears the crux mantle of Ride the Lightning (V8)

Me on Backseat

Boyko on Blackhole

Frontside

Squamish, Part One

Just got back from five days in Squamish. Climbed a few of the things I wanted to including Sharma's Link and No Troublems, both V10. Simon continued his rampage of doing everything he puts his mind to and Boyko continues to improve from his finger injury with sends of The Egg (V11), Backseat (V10), Blackhole (V10), and Velcro (V10). James also continued to improve his outside climbing abilities with a send of World World Cave (V9), the first for him of the grade. Here is a little video I put together but it is nothing special. Stay tuned for pictures.

Leavenworth Photos

Simon on the Epoxy Flake (V10)

Simon sending the Practitioner (V12), Forestland

Simon on the Flake Problem (V7), Forestland

Boyko on the Hueco Project (V11?)

Me on Atomic Energy

Simon on Atomic Energy (V4/10)

Simon on the Ram (V12), Mad Meadows

Me on the Peephole, V11 Mad Meadows

James on an unnamed V6, Mad Meadows

Back in Leavenworth

Have not posted for a while but it guess it is cause I have not been outside for far too long. Finally got back to Leavenworth for Friday Saturday and Sunday. We had quite the crew and ran into a lot of people we knew. Here is what went down: On Thursday night we arrived and at midnight Simon sent Big Booty Bitch Slap (v10) second go. He also did the Peephole at around 2 am third go (v11). Simon continued his rampage the next day sending The Ram (v12), The Cotton Pony (V10), The Coffee Cup (v10 after break), onsited Atomic Energy (v10), and flashed The Lonly Fish (v9). I had a very disapointing Friday and Saturday of climbing was did not manage to climb anything. However, Sunday everyone had a pretty good day. Simon sent the Practitioner (v12), a problem put up by Herm Fisner, and the Epoxy Flake (v10). Boyko and me sent the Coffee Cup and I also got Musashi (v9) on my first go of the day. Sorry for all the spray but it was an eventful trip and I had to put that out there. I was also psyched to see that people from out of Washington are starting to make stops at Leavenworth because it is fully worth it. Rob, Dave M. and Seth all had good sends two weekends back. Tonight or tomorrow I will post some of the pictures I got, I think there should be some dope stuff.

Good day at Goldbar

After a late start we arrived at the Five Star boulder late in the afternoon. I had a good day. Did Rossbongo my second try of the day and I am going to have to call it V9. Then I chilled for a while and did Ebreosity first try. I had been climbing ropes a bit and I guess the little endurance I gained helped. Here is a video Boyko shot and I edited.

Worked

Boyko and I got in a short trip to Squamish this weekend. Returned late Sunday night after hearing reports that it would be raining for the next week there and because of how absolutly worked we had gotten. Back to back 8 hour session days with almost non-stop climbing had reduced our psych on getting on anything hard. I managed to climb my first V6 in Squamish and also Rookie and Boyko got a quick ascent of Salad Shooter (V10). I am psyched to return for Worm World Cave Low, Backseat, No Troublems, and Sharma's Link.

Boyko on The Serpent

Me on Backseat

Back at the Five Star

Yesterday I went back to Goldbar with Boyko to try and finish off the two climbs I tried on Monday at the Five Star Boulder. I first went to Ebreositeey and spend a good deal of time trying it and made some clear progress but could not manage to stick the move to the lip from the start. After a while I moved onto Rossbongo, which felt extreamly hard because my tips were hurting at this point in the day. I decided to give the topout a scrub to get some of the moss off and come back for it another day.

The crux move of Rossbongo

Above and below: Ebreositeey

Goldbar Yo

So my new V10s are SO small but that is ok cause I also found a pair of pretty new pair of V10s that I totally forgot that I had under my bed so I was ready for whatever Goldbar had to throw at me. At least I thought. I wanted to flash Ros Bongo, which I got the the last hard throw and could not hold. After a bit more work I got to the top out but the key slot to pull over the lip was full of wet moss from a rainy spring. I guess I will have to return for the actual send when it has been drier. Next I did this cool thing Boyko said was V7 but I am upgrading it to V8 cause it felt impossible for a long time. Then I worked Ebreositee, a V11 that at first felt really hard but I was albe to do in two pieces and if I am less worked then I think I would be able to link. I shall return on Wednesday.

Using the Flash

Unnammed V7/8 just to the right of Ebreosity

New Shoes

Shoes have been an issue for me for a while and I finally took some inititive and solved my problems. Shelia, the sponsorship person at Five Ten, quit and her replacement is on his honeymoon, which leaves me high and dry for getting free shoes any time soon. I should have a pair of dragons coming but they were supposed to be here weeks ago so in light of all this I ended up buying a pair of new V10's. I actually got a good deal, 60 bucks brand new, but I still had to pay. They are size 9 which is smaller than I have worn in the past so we will see how they handle themselves at Goldbar tomorrow.

Leavenworth is the Shit

I got back to Seattle from Colorado on Wednesday and Thursday afternoon I headed out to Leavenworth on the east side of the Cascades. I think this place might be some of my favorite granite I have climbed on. Boyko and I headed to the Beach first with the intention of me doing Goicoechea (V10) while I was fresh as to not have to return later to finish it off. Things worked out and I was able to send in a few hours. Next we went to Mad Meadows we I was able to do The Sail (V9) and then worked The Hueco Project and The Ram to no avail. At Mad Meadows we ran into a crew from Portland including Adam and Kendra. We camped with them and the next day went to Forrestland where I saw many of the classic climbs I have heard about. Worked this V10 for a while but could get all the moves and then Boyko ran up this highball V6 with a hard topout. Next we sessioned The Coffee Cup (V11) and The Practitioner (V12). Good progress was made on the Coffee Cup and I feel like it could go with some more work. We finished off the day with a little work on this classic unnammed V8/9 but my tips were shot so we headed back to Seattle.

Trying the first (and crux) move of Goicoechea

Boyko getting high on an unknown V6

Adam near the end of a new V10 linkup done last weekend by Jonny

Locking off on an unnammed V7 at the Beach